The Importance of Spaying and Neutering

Right now, the clock is ticking; thousands of homeless animals are dying all over the world.
In the US,
there are an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters per year. Only half of these animals are adopted. Tragically, the other half are euthanized. Euthanasia is the number one cause of death to animals in the US. These are healthy, sweet animals who would have made great companions to someone.
Japan
has a similar crisissurrounding stray animals. Everyday, 500 dogs and cats are killed by the government because they are homeless, or the owners have given them up because they do not want them anymore.
In Indonesia, the numbers of stray animals and animals entering shelters is not known; there are no government shelters operating and therefore little or no records kept and no attention or publicity given to these unwanted animals and indeed, these mass deaths. Unfortunately animal welfare is not yet a priority in Indonesia
But what we do know, from what we have seen and experienced firsthand, and from what we have heard from our partners, is that this problem is HUGE in Indonesia, and that little or nothing is being done to improve the situation. Thousands of homeless animals are in need of our help right here, right now. The question is... What is the best way for us to help them?

Helping stray animals can be done in a number of different ways. Besides providing a proper home for them through adoption, foster or supporting a local animal welfare organisation nearby through volunteering or donation, you can also help stray animals through the Spay and Neuter program. Spaying and Neuteringare the most effective and best solutions for preventing stray animal overpopulation.

What exactly is Spay and Neuter?
According to American Humane Association, spaying is a general term used to describe the ovariohysterectomy of a female animal while neutering is a general term used to describe the castration of a male animal. However, the term neutering is often used in reference to both sexes. In Bahasa Indonesia, to neuter is called "Sterilisasi". Neutering is a safe medical procedure that involves minor surgery and is always performed under anaesthetic by a veterinarian. It should never be carried out in a 'traditional' or cruel manner. The purpose of neutering is to stop the functioning of the animal's reproduction system and therefore prevent unwanted births.
Cesar Milan, who is famous for starring in his own show "The Dog Whisperer" and "Leader of the Pack" is a firm believer in spaying and neutering your companion animal.
If you are curious about the vast numbers of babies that an un-neutered animal who is not can reproduce within a short period of time, please watch this wonderful animation video from the animal rescue organisation, Blue Cross for Pets UK.

Based on this basic calculation, in a one year period, an un-spayed female cat will produce an average of 3 litters, each litter containing an average of between 4-6 kittens! This means that in just 7 years that one cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420.000 cats! And even more shocking, only 1 in 12 of those 420.000 cats will be lucky enough to find a home!

What are the causes of overpopulation ? How can we prevent pet overpopulation and help to reduce the possibility of unwanted born ?

Educate People to stop Irresponsible Breeding
Many still intentionally choose to breed animals in their care, either for profit or for what they mistakenly believe will be a 'fun' experience. Others choose not to spay or neuter out of ignorance, believing that their companion animals won't breed accidentally. However, the urge to breed is extremely powerful for an animal. Both males and females will run out doors, break through screens, chew through leashes, jump, climb or dig under 6-foot fences to get away and reach a potential mate! Dogs can even mate through a chain link fence!
Simply put, there is no such thing as 'accidental' pregnancy of a companion animal, only irresponsible owners who decided not to spay and neuter.
As someone who is responsible for an animal it is your duty to make a conscious choice and effort to have them spayed or neutered.Puppies and kittens can be safely spayed or neutered at 8 weeks of age, well before they reach sexual maturity. The operation is very minor and will cause no discomfort to your companion as they will be asleep.
It is vital to spread the word! Educate your family, your friends, your relatives, your neighbours, your business partner,everyone, to stop breeding!

Choose Adopt, Don't Buy or Shop !
It is a common myth that pet overpopulation means there are 'not enough' homes for all the animals currently in shelters. This is untrue. In reality, there are more than enough homes, but not enough people are choosing to adopt an animal from a shelter. Instead they choose to buy from a pet shop or breeder!
To quote some US statistics, 17 million Americans acquire a new pet each year - that is more than double the number of shelter animals! Sadly, only 3.5 million people, or about 20 percent, choose to adopt their new companion animal from a shelter. The rest choose to buy their pets from pet stores or breeders, or they choose from a variety of other sources, such as friends or neighbours who have allowed their animals to breed, or animals advertised and sold over the internet.

Virtually all puppies sold at pets stores come from puppy mills, where dogs live miserably in tiny cages with little or no opportunity to exercise, play or socialize. There are too many irresponsible breeders who are in businesspurely for profit without regard for the good health or temperament of the individual animals and without a thought for the problem of animal overpopulation.

While acquiring a puppy, kitten or adult animal from a friend, neighbour or an Internet advertisement might seem innocent enough, in reality you are contributing to the pet overpopulation problem by creating demand for irresponsible breeding or enabling owners to have a convenient, guilt-free and often profitable outlet for disposing of unwanted animals. In many cases, these people will go on to become repeat offenders, engaging in a continuous cycle of irresponsible breeding or animal acquisition and disposal because they know they can easily find a new home for the animal(s). The majority of animals acquired this way are not spayed or neutered, which also perpetuates the cycle of overpopulation.
The only way to break this cycle is to choose not to participate in it. Do not increase demand. Adopt!

By choosing to adopt, you will not only save a life, but you will also ensure that your adoption fee is going to help the next unwanted animal that comes in the door of that shelter. The adoption fees at most shelters include spaying or neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, worming, and heartworm or feline leukemia testing, and they are typically hundreds of dollars less than what you would spend to have all of these services performed at a veterinarian's office.

Think before act !
Consider all the responsibilities and consequences of animal ownership before deciding to get an animal and always make a lifetime commitment to your companion animal.

Stop disposing Animals !
The continuous flow of animals into shelters across the country is not just made up of litters of puppies and kittens. In fact, most shelters receive a greater number of stray and owner-relinquished adult animals. The majority of stray animals arrive at shelters without any identification, and most are never reclaimed by their owners. The average owner reclaim rates for stray dogs are less than 50 percent and less than 10 percent for cats. While there are some situations when it may be absolutely necessary for an owner to relinquish a pet, hundreds of thousands of pets are relinquished to shelters each year simply because they have become an inconvenience or because the owner did not consider the time and financial commitment required to properly train and care for them, or heartbreakingly, because they are no longer a puppy they are therefore no longer as appealing to the family.
The numberone reason for pet relinquishment is that the owner is'moving house'. The other top reasons given for pet relinquishment include 'behaviour problems', 'not having enough time', 'not being able to afford care', 'allergic to animals' and 'arrival of a new baby'.
So why do so many people consider companion animals to be disposable, and what can we do to change this way of thinking? This is a question that most professionals working in the animal rescue field ask themselves every day, and unfortunately, there is no simple answer. To solve this problem, we would need to effect a cultural change in which every individual fully considers all of the responsibilities and consequences of animal ownership before adopting, and then makes a lifetime commitment to their companion. That perfect world may not be realized anytime soon, but you can do your part by thinking carefully about animal ownership before you adopt.

Always spay and neuter your pets

Always adopt your pets from a legitimate shelter or nonprofit rescue group

Educate your children, friends, family members and co-workers about pet overpopulation, adoption and the importance of spaying and neutering

Frequently Asked Questions about Spay and Neuter

Question (Q): Why should I have my pet neutered ?

Answer (A): Independent Animal Welfare organizations, shelters, both public and private, are faced with an incredible burden: What to do with the overpopulation of dogs and cats that they cannot find homes for ? Millions of animals are euthanized at shelters each year, as there are not enough willing adopters. Having your pet spayed or neutered ensures that you will not be adding to this tremendous number of unwanted animals

Q: When is the right time for Spaying or Neutering my pet ?

A: Both procedures can safely be performed at as early as 8 weeks of age. We suggest to do spay or neuter ideally between 16 to 20 weeks. If you have vaccinated your companion, please make sure to wait at least 1 month before spaying or neutering. Spay and neuter are a surgical procedures, so make sure the animal is in good health beforehand and that they are not pregnant.

Q: What are some of the health and behavioral benefits ?

A:
Through neutering, you can help your dog or cat live a happier, healthier, longer life. Spaying eliminates the constant crying and nervous pacing of a female cat in heat. Spaying a female dog also eliminates the messiness associated with the heat cycle. Neutering of male dogs and cats can prevent certain undesirable sexual behaviours, such as the marking of territory with their urine, humping, male aggression and the urge to roam. If you have more than one animal in your household, all of them will generally get along better if they are neutered. A long-term benefit of spaying and neutering is improved health for both cats and dogs. Spaying females prior to their first heat cycle almost entirely eliminates the risk of breast cancer and totally prevents uterine infections and uterine cancer. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and enlargement of the prostate gland, and greatly reduces their risk for perianal tumours

Q: Isn't the cost of spay or neuter too expensive ?

A: The cost of caring for a companion animal, including providing veterinary care, should be considered before acquiring an animal. Many animal welfare organisations offer low-cost spay/neuter services, and there are also many low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country. To find low-cost options in your area, call your local animal welfare organisation.
The reality is that the cost associated with providing adequate care for just one litter of puppies or kittens is often more than the cost of spaying or neutering. The cost of feeding, worming and first vaccinations for a litter can be upwards of $200 to $300. You must also consider that there could be complications with the birth that require hospitalization or surgery. You will also be faced with finding good homes for the offspring yourself or placing more animals into your local shelter. The cost of well-being of not just your companion animal, but of future generations, should be considered.

Q: Isn't it wrong to deprive an animal of the natural right to reproduce ?

A: No, it's wrong to allow these animals to reproduce millions of unwanted offspring that are eventually killed because there aren't enough responsible, kind and caring homes.

Q: If I find homes for my pet's litters, then I won't contribute to the problem, right ?

A: Wrong. Only a finite number of people want pets. So every home you find for your animal's offspring takes away a home from a loving animal already at a shelter and in need of that home.

Q: Shouldn't every female pet have at least one litter before being spayed ?

A: No. In fact, your companion animal will be healthier if she never sexually matures.

Q: Doesn't neutering alter an animal's personality ?

A: Personality changes that may result from neutering are for the better. Not being distracted by the instinctual need to find a mate helps your companion animal to stop roaming and decreases aggressive tendencies.

Q: Won't animal shelters take care of the surplus animals ?

A: No. Shelters do their best to place animals in loving homes, but the number of homeless animals far exceeds the number of willing adopters. This leaves many loving and healthy animals in our community that must be euthanized as the only humane solution to this tragic dilemma. Only spaying and neutering can end the overpopulation problem.

Q: Does Animal Friends Jogja provide Spay and Neuter too ?

A: Yes, we do. We have at least one routine program per month to let you join our low-cost neuter program.

Q: When will the program be held ? Does it have fixed schedule ?

A: Unfortunately, we cannot provide a fixed schedule because we must arrange the session privately with our trusted professional doctors and find a schedule that suits them each time. You can always check the event date on this website's home page or through our Facebook wall.

Q: How much it cost to spay or neuter my cats ?

A: It costs 125.000 Rupiah for a Male Cat and it costs 175.000 Rupiah for Female Cat.

Q: How much it cost to spay or neuter my dogs ?

A: Dogs size can make a difference in terms of cost. We need to see them first or you can send us a comparison photo to help us to determine the price.

Q: Does Animal Friends Jogja serve pick-up animals for this program ?

A: No, we don't. It will be your responsibility to bring your companion animal to their appointment and to take them home safely afterwards, keeping in mind they will need to be handled with extra care after their operation.

How to Register and Join AFJ's Routine Spay and Neuter Program ?

Step I

Check that you have read the correct date of our next routine program either on this website's home page or on our Facebook wall. If you have already double checked and are available on that day to bring your companion animal to the program and care for them afterwards, please continue to Step II.

Step II

Please call 0274-516664 to register. Please call between 08.00 and 17.00. Please do not use text (SMS) to register as it makes organisation more difficult and lengthy.
Registration will be closed one day before the event date

Step III

We will inform you as to the time and place and any further explanation needed about the event.
If there are too many participants on a particular day, we will extend and re-schedule this event and inform you during the registration

Step IV

Don't forget to stop feeding your companion animalthe night before surgery. It is important they do not eat from the evening before their surgery (this means feeding them their last meal at around 18.00 and not feeding them again until the next day after their operation). Please make sure your companion animal cannot access food secretly!

Step V

On the day of the event, please bring your National ID Card or Driver's License and half of the payment with you when you bring your four-legged friends to our place (in the morning)

Step VI

It is highly recommended to stay at your companion animal's side before the surgery, so that they are more relaxed and less stressed.
It is also nice to be there for them when they wake up from their surgery as they will be a little confused and sleepy.

Step VII

Complete the payment after the surgery is done, take your companion animal safely and gently back to your home, feed them, and carry out the post-treatment care there. And make sure to treat them to plenty of kindness and kisses as they recover! That's all :)

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